offering

Planning the Flow of Worship

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To enhance the flow of worship, a leader should work on acquiring the necessary skills. Of particular importance is learning how to master the timing of worship. Well-planned transitions help the congregation to sense the intended purpose of each act of worship. Included here is a detailed outline of worship designed to go with Isaiah 6:1–8—Isaiah’s encounter with God and the prophet’s subsequent call to ministry.

An important aspect of the planning and leading of corporate worship is the creating of a sense of meaningful flow from the beginning of the service to the end. A flow of worship that effectively engages the attention of the worshiper and facilitates meaningful participation can be attributed to several factors.

First, it may appear that the control of this aspect of worship lies solely in the ability of the leaders to provide spoken and musical transitions with spontaneity and a masterful sense of timing. As important as these skills may be, there is more to it than that. The effective handling of transitions is contingent upon the structure provided by an order of service that progresses in a logical manner, facilitating the expression of thought and feeling. A matter of primary importance is sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit in both the planning and the leading of worship. The mastery of timing is an essential part of all temporal art, including the drama of worship. For example, there are times when the Spirit would prompt a relaxing of the pace or the repetition of a song to provide a sense of resolution or closure. We want to avoid moving through the parts of a service as if they were items on an agenda to be completed within a fixed amount of time.

The primary focus of this entry is the creating of transitions against the underlying structure of the service. The need for emphasis on transitions can be seen more clearly if we consider a basic difference that exists between a worship service and a gathering of people for a drama presentation. In worship, everyone has lines to speak or sing, not just those on the platform. Words of introduction and transition help the people sense the intended purpose of each act of worship.

To show how words can create a meaningful connection for the parts of an established order of worship, several examples are offered here. The paradigm selected for the structure of the service is the written account of Isaiah’s encounter with God at the time of his call (Isa. 6:1–8). God initiated the dialogue by revealing himself through worship (vv. 1–4). In contrast to God’s holiness, Isaiah saw himself as one who needed cleansing from sin, and he confessed his unworthiness (v. 5). In response to his act of contrition, God pronounced forgiveness (vv. 6–7). After this opening dialogue (consisting of revelation, confession, and forgiveness), God spoke to the prophet, and Isaiah responded. The opening part of the dialogue serves as the basis for a Service of Entrance, and that which follows forms the basis for the Service of the Word. Although this model is usually associated with worship in so-called “liturgical churches,” it may also structure worship that is freer in style.

Service of Entrance

Prelude Music. The service begins with an instrumental arrangement of congregational songs designed to (1) invite people to worship (e.g., “O Worship the King”); (2) express the corporate nature of the gathering and its need for the enabling power of the Holy Spirit (e.g., “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship,” “Spirit of the Living God,” and “Set My Spirit Free to Worship Thee”), and 3) draw attention to the object of our veneration (e.g., “Holy God, We Praise Your Name,” “I Adore You,” and “Fairest Lord Jesus”). An admonition, written or spoken, might be given to the worshipers to reflect on the words of the hymns listed as preludes (include the numbers of the hymns to be used on an overhead projector).

Hymn of Adoration. In addition to labeling the hymn according to function (Hymn of Adoration), words of introduction help to facilitate the desired focus of attention, for example, for the hymn “Fairest Lord Jesus,” we could say, “As we lift our hearts and voices in this song of adoration, may we see beyond the beauty of creation. Beauty was never intended to be an object of veneration, but he who creates and sustains is worthy of our praise.”

Prayer of Adoration. The theme of the hymn is carried forward in prayer: “Lord, God, you have spoken to us through your Son, Jesus, who is the radiance of your glory and the exact representation of your nature, who upholds all things by the word of his power. Truly, he is the Lord of creation, and we offer you, through him, all glory, honor, praise, and adoration. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear as you reveal yourself in all your splendor and glory, majesty, power, and redeeming love. Amen.”

Corporate Prayer. Confession and forgiveness are highlighted in a prayer such as the following: “We are not, by our own nature, worthy of you, but through your Son, who died and rose again, we are made righteous in your sight. Thank you for the assurance that if we confess our sins, you are faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Hear, O Lord, the confession of each heart before you now” (silence). (The act of confession can be intensified through singing. After a moment of silence, the worship leader could invite the people to continue in prayer, seeking personal cleansing as everyone sings “Create in Me a Clean Heart,” or the first stanza of “Search Me, O God.” The service of confession concludes with a responsive reading and a hymn of assurance.)

Leader:     Thank you, Lord, for your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name,
People:     Amen!
Leader:     People of God, we are forgiven.
People:     We are forgiven. Thanks be to God!

Hymn of Assurance. Words of transition: “The truth that God has forgiven our sins must penetrate our hearts as well as our minds. As we sing of his marvelous grace, may each of us appropriate his forgiveness and receive rest for the soul.” The desired outcome of confession is forgiveness, a sense of resolution (denouement). It is helpful to reinforce this through a hymn (such as “Grace Greater than Our Sin” that facilitates the internationalization of the truth that we are forgiven.

Greeting. Between the Service of Preparation and the Service of the Word, the historic salutation may be used or it could be substituted with a welcome, followed by an encouragement to greet one another.

Service of the Word

Preparing to Receive the Word. If a hymn that is directly related to text and sermon is not available, a general hymn on the theme of God’s Word, such as “How Firm a Foundation,” is appropriate. If a special musical selection precedes the sermon, it should be related to the message.

Sermon and Hymn of Response. An opportunity for response to the proclamation of the Word is an essential ingredient of worship. The pastor’s introduction to the hymn at the close of the sermon is an effective means of assuring that the hymn’s function as a vehicle of response will be understood.

Offering. Although the receiving of an offering in the free church tradition usually occurs earlier in the service, a case can be made for including it later. There it would serve as another means of responding to the proclamation of the Word. (In the paradigm from Isaiah, verses 1–4 are revelation, and most of the concluding verses are response.)

Service of the Table

An example of a meaningful flow of worship is provided by the following excerpt from a Communion liturgy:

Leader:     The Lord be with you.
People:     And with your spirit.
Leader:     Lift up your hearts.
People:     We lift them up unto the Lord.
Leader:     Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God.
People:     It is meet and right to do so.
Leader:     It is meet, right, and salutary, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praising thee and saying:
Leader and people (spoken or sung):
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabbaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of thy glory;
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest.

The above exchange of thoughts between the worship leader and congregation not only engages the worshipers in meaningful dialogue but also creates a sense of eager anticipation that finds fulfillment in the heartfelt release of worship in the singing of “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

Prior to the Words of Institution (1 Cor. 11:23–26), an instruction such as the following could enrich the people’s understanding of the breaking of bread as a symbolic act of worship:

As Christians in the early church broke bread and ate together, they did it “with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46). As we break bread from a common loaf, may we experience true joy and unity of spirit, as brothers and sisters in Christ. The common loaf from which we take and eat is a symbol of the unity we have in Christ. These lines from a first-century hymn may help us to see an added dimension to the breaking of bread:

Leader:     As grain, once scattered on the hillside, was in this broken bread made one,
People:     So from all lands the church be gathered into thy Kingdom by thy Son.

(The Didache)

Another act of worship that can be a meaningful part of Communion is congregational worship in song during the distribution of the bread and cup (or as the people go forward to receive Communion). In addition to uniting the people, this provides a means of releasing joy and other emotions that are integral to meaningful worship. Songs of praise and adoration may be combined with traditional Communion hymns. As the service of Communion ends, the joining of hands could contribute to a sense of oneness as a song such as “One in the Bond of Love” is sung.

Dismissal. A good benediction provides more than a sense of closure to the service. Prefaced by remarks drawn from God’s Word for the day, our going out into the world is given new meaning and purpose, for we are to be salt and light and extensions of his unconditional love for all humankind. Announcements pertaining to the work of ministry that continues through the days ahead may be included in the service of dismissal.

Things That Short-Circuit the Flow of Worship

A meaningful flow may be short-circuited by a number of factors, one being a lack of preparation with regard to logistics. All worship leaders (pastors, lay readers, musicians, and soundboard operators) should have a copy of the worship bulletin in advance of the service. The awkwardness of waiting for a microphone to be turned on can be avoided by noting when movement to the microphone is to occur. This is particularly helpful to less-experienced members of the ministry team.

Another factor that must be considered as an integral part of directing the flow of worship is the body language of the people on the platform. To avoid distracting the attention of worshipers from the significance of what is happening at each moment, all leaders must be attentive listeners.

A third factor is the thoughtful preparation of introductions to hymns, modulations, and other musical sequences. Without proper introductions and interludes, the worshipers cannot be expected to begin and continue confidently. The worship leader who rehearses musical transitions with the keyboard musician(s) will aid those who rely on their leadership.

Finally, an integral part of each of the above considerations is the matter of timing. A readiness or eagerness on the part of one who is about to move to the microphone could detract from the ministry in process, if that eagerness is expressed through body language. On the other hand, lethargic movements when the liturgical action calls for purposeful movement are, likewise, distracting. Audio cassettes and videotapes of services can be studied as means of assessing the effectiveness of our leadership. The senior pastor who values meaningful congregational participation in worship will need to provide opportunities for worship leaders to receive instruction in this important area of ministry. Effective leadership does not just happen. It is the result of prayer, study, planning, practice, and evaluation.

Words for Offering and Sacrifice in the Old Testament

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Sacrifice and offering were a part of Israelite worship, and extensive portions of the Pentateuch are devoted to the regulation of these activities (Lev. 1–7; 22–23; Num. 18; 28–29; and others). This brief survey can only mention the major terms associated with the sacrificial cultus.

All sacrifices were to be offered to Yahweh by the priest (kohen), who would “draw near” (hiqriv) to the altar (mizbe‡ḥ) to sacrifice (zavaḥ) in the worshiper’s behalf. The worshipers might bring an offering of meal or grain (minḥah) or an animal for a sacrifice (zevaḥ); individuals bringing an animal for sacrifice usually killed and dressed it themselves. Depending on the particular need, the worshipers could bring a sin offering (ḥatta’t), a guilt or trespass offering (’asham), or a peace offering (shelem or zevaḥ shƒlamim).

The officiating priest might present the offering as a burnt offering (‘olah, literally an offering “going up”) or as an offering made by fire (’ishsheh); he might wave it (henif) as a wave offering (tƒnufah) or pour out a drink offering (nesekh). Regular offerings and sacrifices were mandated for the various festivals and the daily and monthly observances, but the individual worshiper might also bring a voluntary offering (nƒdavah), or a votive offering, that is, one brought to pay or fulfill (shillem) a vow (neder) he or she had made (Num. 30). Any offering or gift brought to the Lord might be called a “holy thing” (qodesh), that is, something set apart, or a “dedicated thing” (qorban).

It is a striking phenomenon that the Psalms, the hymnody of the sanctuary, so seldom refer to the sacrificial cultus. When the Psalms refer to sacrifice, it is almost always the sacrifice made by praise and thanksgiving. A prophetic voice speaks in Psalm 50:14, 23 declaring the Lord’s preference that the worshiper “sacrifice thanksgiving” (zavaḥ todah) to him, rather than sacrifice animals. The worshiper of Psalm 27:6 indicates his intention to “sacrifice with shouts of joy” (zivḥei tƒru‘ah). Vows are paid by praise and thanksgiving (Pss. 22:25; 50:14; 65:1). When the offerings and sacrifices of the Mosaic cultus are mentioned, it is often in a derogatory way (Pss. 40:6; 50:8–13; 51:16).

This situation is not as strange as it may seem. When David brought the ark to Zion, he established worship there without the sacrificial altar, which remained with the Mosaic sanctuary at Gibeon (1 Chron. 21:29). Many of the Psalms had their origin in this prophetic worship of the “tent of David” and were composed by David himself or by Levitical musicians who did not officiate at sacrifices. Indeed, sacrificial terminology is largely missing from their literature.

Biblical Worship Applied

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Biblical worship involves two essential elements: First, worship must be done with reverence.  This is a reverence-based approach toward God. Worship is inward God-directed Expressions of the Heart. When God encounters people, the first human worship response one sees Scripture reveal is that people bow in reverence in some way.  This type of deep, inward God-directed expressions of the heart worship is demonstrated:

  1. By Joshua before the Angel of the Lord (Josh. 5:13ff);
  2. With Gideon as he encounters the Angel of the Lord (Judges 6:20-23);
  3. As David sings love to the Lord (e.g. Psalm 27:4);
  4. When Isaiah bows in God’s Throne Room (Isaiah. 6:1-8);
  5. As Ezekiel stands before the Heavenly Being (Ezekiel. 1:28);
  6. With the Disciples after Peter walked on the water (Mt. 14:25-33); and,
  7. When the woman washes the feet of Jesus at Simon the Pharisee’s house (Luke 7:44-48).

Second, as one encounters God, their worship translates into their own daily actions, activities and life experiences. This is encounter-motivated-actions for God. When God initiates real encounter with humans they get up and obey.  They not only acknowledge God, but they then move into some sort of responsive action or actions. 

Four biblical examples of this reality are: 
1) Zacchaeus, who after his encounter with Christ, immediately began to make restitution to people he had cheated (Lk 19:8-9); 
2) The woman who washed Jesus’ feet at Simon the Pharisee’s home (Lk. 7:44-48).  Having apparently met Jesus early and experienced his healing worship, she worshipped Jesus from the depths of her heart, and through outward, God-motivated action.
3) The Apostle Paul declaring his desire that  “Christ be exalted (worshiped) in (through the actions of) my body,” Phil. 1:20;
4) Paul’s declaration that God is glorified in all the ‘actions we do,’ 1 Cor. 10:31.   This “doing all for the glory of God” is in fact outward God-motivated actions of worship—not something separate from worship.

These two fundamental dynamics of worship seem always manifested when people actually do worship.  And these dynamics are repeatedly and consistently expressed by two key worship terms.

The Old Testament terms are Shachah and Sharat (or Sharet).  Shachah means to bow low, to bend at the waist, to fall down to the ground, or to express a deep reverence from the heart that involves honoring the object of one’s worship.  As believers grow more deeply in the worship life with God, this reverence seems to draw the maturing believers toward a ‘delighted desire’ to approach God. As they approach God, they grow in their reverence, awe, and gratitude for God’s benevolence and care toward them.

Sharat or Sharet implies ministry, service, and obedience. In the Old Testament, it is historically the administrations of the gathered religious activities of the worshiping community. It especially applies to the people designated to carry out worship responsibilities in public.

Deuteronomy 10:8 uses this term when it states that the Levites were appointed, “. . . to stand before Yahweh and minister to and serve Him.“

In the New Testament one finds that Greek translation of Shachah and Sharat are Proskuneo and Latreuo.  Proskuneo literally means to kiss toward.  It holds the picture of bowing at the waist expressing honor to another.  Proskuneo keeps the same meaning held by shachah; one of bowing low, kneeling or falling to the ground out of deep homage for another.

Latreuo literally means service to or for another. This service is motivated by deep worship, reverence, love and gratitude for the one being served.  It is frequently rendered serve or minister; holds the sense that the service or ministry for or in response to the one served is motivated by that worship, reverence, love and thanks for the one served. 

By the time latreuo is being used in the New Testament, the meaning of the term had widened to mean a worship-way-of-living.  The Apostle Paul uses the term in Romans 12:1 when he urges believers to “. . . present their bodies as living sacrifices”—note the allusion to the Levites serving at the Jerusalem Temple—“. . . which is their only logical (understandable—logikon in Greek) worship-way-of-living.” 

First, the Greek term proskuneo and the Hebrew term shachah both mean the same—adoration, bow, honor or reverence.  And, the Greek term latreuo and the Hebrew term sharat both these terms mean the same – service, sacrifice unto the Lord. The point here is that in both the Old Testament, true worship manifests both responses—a heart connection with God, and lived-out actions in obedience to God. [1]

Second, wherever one sees true worship in the Bible one always sees both of these expressions wrapped together into one “integrated worship response.”  Two classic New Testament passages illustrating this point are: Jesus confronting the devil at the beginning of His public ministry (e.g. Mt. 4:10), where Jesus invokes the double worship dynamic when He uses both terms here mentioned by telling the devil, “’Worship (proskuneéseis) the Lord your God, and serve (latreúseis) him only.”  (Matt 4:10).  Jesus is basically saying, ‘Both adoringly and service-fully:  worship God only!’

Jesus expresses the essence of worship as he articulates greatest command. Here, worship is a both-and: love God, and you’ll love self and others well: 29 ‘The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, Yahweh is God, Yahweh alone.  30 Love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  31 The second is this:  Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31, author’s rendering).

Worship is a Two-in-One response to God. That two-in-one response pattern can be expressed many ways, for example; approach-and-availability; adoration-and-action; love-and-obedience; surrender-and-service; and, awe-and-availability.[2]  But the “two” kinds of responses still make up the “one” worship transaction.

This two-in-one worship response is important because it is always observable.

First, people bow, or cower, or are deeply moved (often frightened); and they “revere” the presence of God in one way or another, even if they do not completely understand what is happening. Examples of this principle are seen by: the Bethlehem shepherds at Christ’s birth (Lk 2:8-9); the men with Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3-8); Isaiah when called into the Heavenly Throne Room (Is. 6:1-8); Moses and the Israelis at Mt. Horeb (Ex 3:1-6). 

All those who sensed God’s encounter demonstrated some sort of reverence.  However, not all of them technically worshiped.  The only ones who worshiped in the biblical sense were those who responded in some sort God-motivated action.  Some might say, “they all worshiped to some degree because they all ‘reverenced’ the reality of the God-encounter.” Not so. Those who did not “respond” to the encounter with some sort of God-motivated action, simply did not manifest “true” worship.

Second, this two-in-one response pattern is “one” worship transaction, not two ‘kinds’ of worship.  Religious practice without heart-connect to God is not worship.  Throughout the Bible one repeatedly sees people identifying religious rituals and  learning  as worship. Sometimes they substitute moral and ethical consistency for worship.  But God does not always recognize them as true worshipers.  Consider the following Old and New Testament examples:
1. Cain with his inadequate offering (Genesis 4:3-7);
2. The delinquent priestly son’s of Eli (1 Samuel 4:22ff);
3. The disobedient worship activities of Saul (1 Samuel 13:9ff);
4. Those Israelis the prophet Isaiah indicted for heartless worship ( e.g. Is 29:13); or,
5. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day he confronted for their false worship (John 8). It is clear that the Bible requires both responses inner Godward expression of the heart (John 4:23-24) and an outward action of worship (James 4:8).

[1]  This translation practice was not simply a New Testament practice.  The exact same translation practice occurred in the translation of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures by Jewish religious Hebrew-Greek scholars prior to 285BC, for the sake of getting the Hebrew Scriptures into the hands of Greek-speaking Jewish communities spread around (what at that time was) the Roman Empire.  See The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament and Apocrypha: With an English Translation and with Various Readings and Critical Notes. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1975,  i-ii.

[2] Many Hebrew and Greek terms in Scripture express the various dynamics of  worship as a way-of-life. Some of the Hebrew terms are: b’rach—to bless (Dan 2: 19-20); berech—to kneel (Dan. 6:10); giyl—to rejoice excessively, even by spinning around (Ps 32:11; Ps ; gahbad—to serve as a bond-servant, loving service (Ps 102:23; Ex 3:12); halal—to boast foolishly (praise) (Ps 22:4, Ps 44:8); nagan—to play a stringed instrument skillfully (Is 38:20; Ps 33:3); qadash—to consecrate or make ceremonially clear (Ex 30:30; qarab—to approach or draw near to serve the Yahweh (Lev 7:35); rahnan—to joyfully shout (Ps 33:1); ruah—to shout (Ps 47:1, 66:1); sahgad / s’geed—fall down in worship, but does not seem to be used for worshiping Yahweh (Dan 2:46; Dan 3:5; Is 44:19)  samach—to rejoice brightly (1 Sam 2:1, Ps 66:6); saphar—to celebrate intensely; shabach—to address in loud tones (Ps 63:3); shachah—to bow at the waste or bow down in reverence (Joshua 5:14); sheer—to sing while strolling like a minstrel (Ps 13:6); yadah—to give thanks by holding out the hands (Ps 9:1-2); yahreh—to fear (the Yahweh), great reverence and humility (Gen 22:12; Ps 33:8).

Greek terms related to the broader biblical worship-way-of-life are:  doxa—glory (Lk 14:10; latreuo / litergeia—the worship administrations, and the worship-motivated actions coming out of encountering God, often translated poorly by the term serve (Rm 12:1; Rev. 22: Dt 10:8); neokoros–temple-sweeper or temple-keeper but “worshipper” is needed to complete the idea, in our modern idiom (Acts 19:35); proskuneo—literally this term means to kiss toward, to bend at the waste and bow low in reverence (Jn 4:23); sebazomai—to venerate (Rm 1:25); sebomai—reverence, often used re false worship (Mt 15:7); therapeuo—to serve or tend, but in NT it has a close connection with ‘temples made with hands’ therefore not seen used with the worship of the True Yahweh God; threskeia—a ritual or ceremonial observance – with a root idea of fear (Col 2:18).

[Note:  All these definitions were researched from Bible Soft PC Study Bible 5.0 software, Topics, International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database, Biblesoft, Inc; Copyright, 1996, 2003, 2006; “Worship,” article, written by Philip Wendell Crannell.]